Arsene Wenger has claimed that referees helped Barcelona, in their dramatic comeback against Paris Saint-Germain on Wednesday, but instead killed their own attempt to do the impossible at home against Bayern Munich.
Barca scored three goals from the 88th minute of the return leg at Camp Nou, to seal an incredible 6-5 aggregate win.
Their six goals on the night included two penalties, duly dispatched by Lionel Messi and Neymar.
24 hours earlier, Arsenal were leading 1-0, before the referee sent Laurent Koscielny off and awarded the visitors a penalty, which Robert Lewandowski scored to make it 1-1, effectively killing the tie off.
“Last night, it showed the importance of two main factors – the referee and big players,” Wenger said in his pre-match press conference ahead of the clash with Lincoln.
“At that level, you can be punished. It can be very quick and go one way or the other.
“In the last seven years, we played six times against Barcelona or Bayern.”
“In the last nine years we are only once the worst English team in the Champions League.”
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